Greetings, District 5970! The new year -- and new decade -- have finally arrived, and it’s time to put into action all the ideas we’ve been planning since fall. It’s also a time of regrowth, of forgiving ourselves for shortcomings.

I spend a lot of time on the road, traveling around Iowa, the country, and the world for my career and Rotary. As such, I have a lot of time to reflect on things that didn’t go as planned. But what I’ve learned over the years is that kicking myself does no good -- not for my colleagues, fellow Rotarians, and certainly not for my emotional health.

This year, I challenge you to consider a different perspective when a plan goes wonky or an outcome is unexpected. Rather than beating ourselves up, let’s reflect on what went well and how we can unite to improve the process or situation next time: a certain skill set that was missing; more or less stakeholder involvement; different ways to measure metrics.

Rotarians are better together. Hold each other up in this century’s roaring ‘20s -- I can’t wait to see what you achieve this year and beyond.

Satellites: Chartering New Clubs

Rotary has undergone a major shift in the last 5 to 10 years. As long-time members transition from their clubs, there’s a strong sense of urgency to attract new, younger members.

Sometimes that means changing how a club has historically operated, such as switching from daytime to evening meetings. And sometimes, as highlighted by Douglas Nash on the Rotary blog, it means chartering a new club.

New clubs can offer your district the opportunity to take on new and different volunteer endeavors. For example, a daytime contingent might focus on a certain set of community issues the district has identified, whereas an evening group might target another.

All it takes is passion, diligence, and at least 10 willing members to charter your own club. In Rotary and in life, we are better together. Questions about chartering a new club? Email District Governor Michelle Bell today.

District Conference: Connecting the World with 2020 Vision

Save the date and register now! The First Leadership Summit/District Conference Connecting the World with 2020 Vision, will be held April 24-25 at the Marriott in Cedar Rapids.

The theme of our conference branches off the Rotary theme “Rotary Connects the World.” At this event, attendees will have access to information and resources to help them grow as leaders, both personally and in Rotary.

Attendees can expect to walk away with a range of information, including:

Tips to develop their personal leadership skills

Actionable ideas to impact the community in 2020 and beyond

Fun and fellowship

The conference will feature well-known speakers and leaders – stay tuned for more information! Want to Register? Click here!